People who use buses in and around Kendal, as well as those who would like to use them, are being asked to help shape the future of public transport in Cumbria.
A public drop-in session will be held at Kendal Town Hall on Tuesday 6 October from 3.30pm to 7.30pm. It is part of the Cumbria Bus Reform Pilot Study, which is examining whether local buses could be planned, paid for and operated differently.
Residents who cannot attend in person will be able to complete an online questionnaire. It opens on Monday 5 October and closes at midnight on Sunday 25 October.
What Kendal passengers are being asked
The consultation will seek views on people’s current experience of local buses and their priorities for the future. It will also ask how services could better connect people with jobs, education and healthcare.
Other issues include making bus travel more affordable and accessible, and improving rural connectivity across a county where much of the network is rural.
The organisers are encouraging people to provide specific examples of problems they face. These could include an early bus to Westmorland General Hospital, a last service from Windermere that leaves too soon, or fares that make travelling by car cheaper.
Feedback from the questionnaire and drop-in events will be considered alongside technical evidence as different options are assessed and recommendations prepared.
Study could inform future bus arrangements
Westmorland and Furness Council announced the next phase of the work on 29 September, jointly with Cumberland Council. The Department for Transport is funding the study, and the two councils are working with consultants Jacobs and Oxera.
Cumbria is one of five areas selected to examine new ways of operating rural bus services, according to Cumberland Council. When the pilot was announced in October 2025, the council said it would explore options including the possible introduction of bus franchising.
Under a franchising model, a public body would decide routes, timetables and fares, while operators would bid to run the services. At present, operators largely make those decisions themselves on commercial routes.
However, the councils have stressed that no decisions have been made. The study is exploring different options, with its findings intended to inform future discussions. The new Cumbria Combined Authority will also have a role in setting transport priorities.
Kendal is the only South Lakes drop-in
Kendal is the only one of the six public sessions taking place in the South Lakes. The other events are at Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall on Monday 5 October, Penrith Library on Friday 16 October, Carlisle Library on Saturday 17 October, Keswick Library on Tuesday 20 October, and Workington Library and Community Hub on Wednesday 21 October.
The next closest sessions for Kendal residents are Barrow, on the previous day, and Penrith, about 25 miles north, 10 days later. The council says the questionnaire will be available through both councils’ websites and engagement pages.
The study will not immediately alter local services. Current bus timetables and routes are unaffected while the evidence is collected and options considered.